Motion-picture machine.



R. S. SHAW.

MOTION PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1. 1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

v IMM/bf :ROBERT s. SHAW,

IUNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

OF LOS. ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. F

KAVANAUGH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MOTION-PICTURE MACHINE.

l To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, .ROBERTl S. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motion-Picture Machines, of whichv the following is a specification. y

This inventionrelates to motion picture cameras; and a primary object of the invention is the provision of a compound motion picture camera in which a plurality of motion picture films may be simultaneously exposed to the same scene.

It is now the custom in many cases to take more than one exposure of important scenes in motion picture plays and the like. For instance, where there may be some doubt as to the particular speed at which the motion picture iilm should be exposed, it may be desirable to expose two or more iilms at slightly diiferentrates; so that the one which afterward proves to have been taken at the best speed can be finally selected for use. And, where important scenes are loeling taken, especially ywhere the cost of production of the scene yis very great, it is desirable' to expose more than one Elm, so that if any one film, or any' part thereof, proves to be defective, the scene shall not thereby be lost. J

It is a general objectvof my invention to provide a convenient mechanism to enable a n single operator to expose a plurality of films,

either at synchronous speed or at different speeds; and it is yan object to provide such a device in simple and compact form, easily operated, and not liable to disorder. rI`hese,

v and other objects of my invention, appear in the following specification, whereinl I explain a preferred form of my invention, reference being-had to the accompanying drawing, in which, for the purpose of this specification, I have illustrated 4said preferred form of my invention. In said drawings JFigure' 1 is a front view of my improved camera mechanism, with parts in section takenas indicated by line 1-1 on Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a section taken as indicated by line 2-,2 on Fig. 1; lfig.v 3'i's a rearelevation of the mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken as indicated by line 4-4 on v Fig. 2. i In the drawings numeral 10 designates a f suitable box or case within which a plurality Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 7, 1917.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

serial No. 147,097.

of camera mechanisms may be mounted. In the drawings I illustrate my complete device as including two camera mechanisms; but it will be apparent that my invention may apply to any number of camera mechanisms interconnected and actuated in cooperation as herein described. Where two camera mechanisms are used, I provide the front board 11 with two aperturesr 12 to accommodate the two lenses 13 and to provide for the slight adjusting movement of these lenses, which is hereinafter explained. A light excluding joint is made between the front board and the lenses by means of some suitable flexible member 14; and each lens 13 the vertical axes of the pivots 17 to point v the lenses at the same point ahead of the camera; and, at the same time, to keep the .film advancing mechanisms, and the films 18, in proper position behind the respective lenses. Any suitable view nder, as shown at 19, may be pivoted at 20 and may be connected by a suitable connection 21 to one of the mechanisms 15, so that the view finder will show the scene upon which this mech-k anism and its lens 13 is pointed.

I provide suitable manually operatable means for adjusting the convergence of the lenses 13. This means may comprise a horizontal shaft 29 having right-handedy screwthreads 22 upon one end and left-handed screw-threads 23 upon .the other end; said screw-threaded ends engagin in nuts 24h at the rear ends of the lm a vancing mechanisms 15. The shaft 29 may be carried in a suitable bearing 21L and may have a bevel gear 24a meshing with a gear 24 carried on a vertical shaft 25. Shaft 25 has a thumbnutor wheel 26 upon its upper end; and a dial 27 may be provided on top of the camera box, the thumb-nut 26 carrying an indicator finger 28. The dial 27 may be graduated to suitable distances, so that, when the scene is 'at a certain distance, say 30 feet, the indicator is then turned to a corresponding position on the dial; when the lenses`13 will converge sutciently to be each pointed at a single point thirty feet from the camera. And the View finder 19 will then show the field of view of both lenses.

I do not herein enter into the details of construction of the film advancing mechanisms 15; because these mechanisms may be of any suitable character for advancing the film step by step across the spaces behind the lenses. rlhe film 18 is drawn in the usual manner from film-box 30, and passed back into film-box 3l. Each film advancing mechanism may be actuated from a shaft 32, through the connective medium of gears 33. The two shafts 32 carry on their front ends the shutters 34:, of any usual or suitable design; and the construction is made so that one of the shutters is in front of and overlaps the other, so as to make the whole device compact and as small in size as possible. Behind the shutters there is the usual partition board 35, having apertures 36 directly behind the lenses and in front of the films. This partition board hasy an offset in its center, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, and l also provide a longitudinal partition 35 which may be of hard rubber to electrically insulate the two mechanisms and the two ylms and thereby reduce the bad eects of static charges on the films.

The rear ends of the shafts 32 project out through the vrear walls of the camera box 10, and they carry removable sprocket wheels 40. A sprocket chain l1 passes over the two sprocket wheels, serving thus to interconnect the two shafts 32. @ne or both of the sprocket wheels 40 is made removable, bythe removal ofthe screw i2; so that larger or smaller sprockets may be substituted; and an adjustable idler wheel 43 is iised to keep the sprocket chain tight. A crank all is provided and connected by gearing 45 with one of the shafts 32.

From the foregoing description the advantages and novel features of my device will be readily understood. The operation of the device is simple. 1f the scene is at av certain distance, then the pointer 28 is set on the dial 27 to indicate that distance, and the camera is then pointed at the scene, with the aid of view finder 19. The films are then exposed in the usual manner by the rotation of the crank 44; the final result being that, instead of having exposed a single film, the operator has exposed a plurality of,v films. As hereinbefore stated, my invention is not limited to only two mechanisms, but may be applied to any number of mechanisms by extending the principles of construction and operation herein eX- plained. 1f it is desiredto run one film slightly slower or faster than the other,

corresponding substitutions of sprockets are made at 40; and then the best film may be finally selected.

Although. I have proceeded with some paryspecific details herein described.

ticularity and detail to set forth a preferred form of myinvention, l have donc so for the purpose of rendering my invention clearl intelligible to those skilled in the art; and do not thereby limit myself to the On the other hand, various detailed changes may be made in my invention, without departing from the scope thereof as set fort-h in the following claims.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, 1 claim:

l. 1n combination, a plurality of motion picture camera mechanisms arranged side by side, and connective means whereby said mechanisms may be coperatively actuated, said means embodying means capable of change to make one of said motion picture mechanisms operate at a different speed from that of another.

2. 1n combination, a plurality of motion picture camera mechanisms each with a iilm advancing mechanism and a lens, each film advancing mechanism with its lens being pivoted on a vertical pivot; means to cooperatively actuate the film advancing mechanisms, said means embodying means capable of changeto make one of said film advancing mechanisms operate at a higher speed than another, and means to coperatively move the said mechanisms and lenses about their pivots to focus them upon a single point.

3. 1n combination, a plurality of motion picture camera mechanisms each with a film advancing mechanism and a lens, each film advancing mechanism with its lens being pivoted on a vertical pivot; means to cooperatively actuate the film advancing mechanisms, said means embodying means capable of change to make one of said film advancing mechanisms operate at a different speed from that of another, means to cooperatively move the said mechanisms and lenses about their pivots to focus them upon a single point, said means including manv ually operatable means to move the said I mechanisms and lenses equally and oppositely about their respective pivots, and a view finder connected to one of said pivoted mechanisms and lenses.

4. In combination, a plurality omotion picture camera mechanisms each with a film advancing mechanism and a lens, each film advancing mechanism with' its lens being pivoted on a'vertical pivot; means to cooperatively actuate the film advancing mechanisms, said means embodying means capable of change to make one of said film ad-y vancing mechanisms operate at a different speed from that of another, means to cooperatively move the said mechanisms and lenses about their pivots to focus them upon a single point, said means including manually operatable means provided with a Lemma graduated scale to move the sai mechanismsm and lenses equally and, oppositely about their respective pivots, aud a View finder connected to one of saicl pivcted mechanisms and lenses.

5. lln combination, a plurality of motion picture camera mechanisms5 and connective means whereby said mechanisms may be ce- Operatively actuated at clierent speeds.

6. lin combination, a plurality of motien picture camera mechanisms, te cooperatively move the said mechanisms to focus them on a common peint and connective means whereby said mechanisms may be ccperatively actuated at dierent speeds.

ln Witness that ll claim the foregoing l llave hereunto subscribed. my name this 29th clay or" January i917.

S. SHATN ilitiiesses J. KM'ANAUGH,

il BARKELEW 

